Deputy Sheriff Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit After Retaliation

Melanie Keener, the once second-most powerful person in law enforcement in rural northern Nevada was removed from her position and relegated to an isolated desk in the Storey County Courthouse in Virginia City after she reported her boss, Sheriff Gerald Antinoro for sexual harassment. This ultimately led to her filing a sexual harassment lawsuit.

She stated that “coming forward has broke me.”

This drastic change in her employment ruined her nearly 20-year law enforcement career. Meanwhile, Antinoro continues to be the top law enforcement official in Storey County as the sheriff. This was after an investigation was lodged in response to her complaint that found he indeed violated the county’s sexual harassment policy.

The accusations, however, are not limited to Keener’s suit. The county administrator noted that there have been numerous complaints against the sheriff. All of which, to the sheriff who is also known as Jerry, has never been prosecuted for.

The lawsuit dives further into the details of the allegation, which began on a business trip to Ely, Nevada for a law enforcement convention in 2015. After a long night of light drinking and gambling, she received a text message that was read as a clear sexual innuendo.

If you feel that you have been retaliated against for being a whistleblower of sexual harassment and would like to know your rights as an employee in the state of California, please contact the attorneys at the California Employment Law Group today for a free consultation with an experienced employment lawyer.

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